Digimon Adventure 3: Unified
by Aisha Snow
Summary: Five years ago, the Chosen Children lost everything. Their identities, their digimon partners and even themselves. Torn apart by a tragic incident, when new enemies arise, will they be able to hold it together or be defeated by their lack of unity? Read and review :3
1. Temptation

_Hey everyone! This was the perfect chance to start writing fanfics so I decided to go for it. I'm a huge procrastinator though so if I take forever, that's why. But good reviews do encourage me haha. Okay I have seen the original version so characterisations will be based on that, however names used will be dub names. The reason for this is otherwise I feel like I'm writing in Japanese so please no comments about that. It's a personal preference._

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**Prologue: Temptation**

Armor evolution. A type of evolution unknown to most enemies that the Chosen Children have ever faced. This will be the beginning of something they have never seen before. Something that has never been touched upon.

Izzy was pacing around his room, unsure of whom to share his new discovery about Armor evolution with. So many years had passed since the final battle with MaloMyotismon and the Chosen Children had scattered about, busy with their own lives.

It had been a strange ending to the final battle. Their digimon had been torn away from them that night, the gates closing as if they had never been opened.

He didn't even have any of their contact details and had never needed to have them. The only ones he really kept in touch with were Mimi and Tai. More so Mimi since she'd actually come on Skype every once in awhile and they'd get to engage in a video conference but she wasn't interested in this type of knowledge.

The truth was, he had never really felt the need to keep in touch with the others till Gennai had contacted him with new information about this type of evolution.

"Feeling like no one appreciates the knowledge you have, Izumi?" A voice spoke from his computer.

Izzy stared at the device. He would have thought someone was trying to contact him via Skype but he hadn't even signed into the social network.

"What? Who's there?" Izzy asked.

"Call me Riku," The voice said, although no video or image of the person speaking appeared.

Izzy crossed his arms. "How am I supposed to believe someone who won't even show his face?"

A laugh was heard. "Interesting. You really are smart. Very well. Sign in onto Skype and I'll video call you. Don't worry. You don't need to have me as a contact."

Izzy raised an eyebrow. This was too suspicious. However, he was curious and there didn't seem to be any harm in talking to this person. After all, what could a person through a video conference do?

'Plenty,' Matt's paranoid voice said in his head. 'Don't trust people who seem suspicious'

'Ah Izzy come off it already, just talk to the person' Tai's voice disagreed with Matt's instantaneously.

'Izzy, be careful' Sora's voice cautioned.

'Give it a go, Izzy,' Mimi's voice said. 'You're smart enough to figure things out'

Izzy shook away his friend's voices although thought with a fond smile if that was what they would really say. He hadn't been in contact with any of them in the last two years. Two years ago, he had last talked to Mimi and Tai on Skype.

It was almost disappointing how long it had been. It didn't bother him too much but sadly enough, he had actually gotten used to his friend's company. He still had his computer which was nice but it did get a bit lonesome at times. It almost felt as if he had shifted back into his older personality where he was obsessed with computers and didn't like interacting with people as much.

Despite his second thoughts, his curiosity got the better of him and he logged onto Skype.

Almost immediately, the video call came through and no longer hesitating he answered it.

A young woman with short red hair and emerald green eyes appeared on screen. She looked a little older than Yolei.

"So why did you want to talk to me?" Izzy said.

Riku laughed a little. "Isn't it obvious? I want you to use your knowledge where it's really appreciated."

Izzy blinked. "My friends do appreciate me...we're just sort of busy with our lives now. It's natural since we're all growing up."

Riku frowned. "Does growing up mean forgetting what's important? You haven't forgotten them, have you?"

Izzy shook his head. "Not completely but I have gotten busy with my own life as well."

"That's no excuse!" Riku snapped. "Izumi, I can give you so much more than they can. A chance for you to quench your thirst of curiosity of the things around you. A chance for you to utilise all this knowledge and be appreciated for the treasure you possess."

Izzy raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to bribe me into working for you?"

Riku shook her head. "I just need you to do one thing for me and then I'll give you what you desire, that chance to utilise your knowledge."

"Oh?" Izzy said, waiting for her to explain.

Riku smiled. "I want you to bring Veemon to me."

Izzy stared. Of all the requests he was planning for her to ask, this wasn't it. He had expected her to ask for something different, like using his knowledge to hurt or defame someone she had been hurt by but hadn't actually expected this to have anything to do with Veemon. From her expression, he could tell she was referring to Davis's Veemon but why would she want him? Was this a past enemy of Veemon's that had been hidden until now? But Veemon came from the Digi-Egg of Courage, was that even possible?

Riku laughed. "Oh Izumi, you have questions don't you? Like why I'm after your friend's partner? The answer is simple. He wasn't always Motomiya's partner you know. He was mine."

"That's a lie!" Izzy said immediately. "Veemon came from the Digi-Egg of Courage, he couldn't have possibly been your partner." He exhaled through his nose. "I won't help you, Riku. My friends and I may have lost touch but I would never let myself be used by someone just for my own wishes."

Riku's offer was tempting and if the condition was anything outside of this, he might have accepted it but he was not going to betray Davis or any of the others.

Riku seemed to bristle. "Suit yourself, Izumi. You'll regret it."

Her eyes were cold as she ended the video call.

Izzy bit his lower lip, hesitating only briefly before dialing the number to the Motomiya household. He knew Davis had moved out of there two months ago but he could at least get the cell number of his friend.

"Hello?" Jun's voice said from the other end.

"Hello Jun, it's Izzy," Izzy fidgeted nervously for a moment. "Could I...could I please get Davis's cell number?"

"Yeah, sure," Jun's voice was casual. "You and him did used to be friends after all. I'm sure he'd be glad to hear from you. Do you have a pen and paper nearby?"

Izzy smiled. "I can type it on my laptop. Please tell me." He quickly typed the number as Jun relayed it. "Thanks Jun."

"No problem," Jun said, hanging up.

He wondered if he should call the other but knew he deserved to know. Even if Davis didn't care about his new discoveries about armor-evolution, he would want to protect Veemon, wouldn't he? He wasn't certain about this but he had to try. Riku could try something.

Pushing this hesitation aside, he dialed the number. The phone was answered within a few rings.

"Hello?" A familiar voice said from the other end.

"Hello Davis," Izzy said, smiling to himself, relieved he had picked up. "I got your number from Jun."

"Oh hey Izzy," Davis said. "Been awhile huh? What's up?"

"Davis, do you think you could find a way to gather the others and meet over at my house?" Izzy said. "I can text you the address." He felt a pause at the other end.

"Why?" Davis said. "I mean, I could bring Ken over with me since we live together but I don't really keep in touch with the others you know? Especially since that night..."

Izzy sighed. "The Digimon aren't a figment of our imaginations, Davis..."

"I know that!" Davis said. His voice sounded defensive and like he didn't really want to talk about this topic. "Look, let's not bring them up okay?"

"We may not have a choice," Izzy said. He didn't want to scab at old wounds, he really didn't but with Riku...

"Why?" Davis said. "Why don't we have a choice?"

"Because someone's after Veemon," Izzy said. "She claims to be Veemon's old partner and wanted to use me to extract some revenge on him. I refused but she seemed determined. Whether I help or not, she might find a way to get to him."

There was silence at the other end for a moment. Izzy knew Davis was still on line for he could hear the sounds of his faint breathing from the other side.

"I...I'll see if I can get hold of everyone," Davis finally said. "But Izzy, the gates are still closed."

"I know," Izzy said. "I'm working on that part. Just find a way ok? Things always get done easier when we're together."

"Right," Davis said before hanging up.


	2. Broken Bonds

_Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all the reviews as it really boosts me to update quicker, although I'm having fun with this plot idea. If anyone can betaread for me, I'd be grateful but if not, please feel free to critique._

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**Chapter 1: Broken Bonds**

Davis put the phone down on the receiver, his hand shaking a little but he managed to calm himself as Ken brought lunch back from them.

"Davis?" Ken said. "Are you alright? Your hand is shaking."

Davis tried to smile but it came off as a grimace and he sighed. "Not really." He was never great at lying to anyone, but especially Ken.

Ken frowned at this, setting the burger meals on the table. "What happened?"

"Izzy called," Davis said. "He had some information about the Digimon."

Ken's expression tightened at the mention of the topic. Since that night, no one except Izzy ever mentioned the Digimon. "Davis, we don't..."

Davis sighed. "I know, but it was about Veemon."

Ken paused at that. "What about him?"

"Someone's after him," Davis said. "Someone who's claiming to be his former partner and wants revenge."

Ken looked at Davis. His eyes showed concern and he knew no matter how much they tried to forget about their Digimon, when it came to their partners, they just couldn't stay back. He placed a hand on Davis's shoulder, squeezing it. "Let's go then. We'll try and gather the others together. If it means helping Veemon at least."

"Ken..." Davis murmured, a small smile gracing his features. He nodded. "Right! Jun is friends with Chiziru still so we can get a hold of Yolei from there but what about everyone else?"

Ken paused for a moment. "I'm not sure. We could always call their home numbers but that might look a bit odd considering we haven't done that in awhile."

Davis sighed, trying to think of a solution. "Should we just tell Izzy we can't get hold of the others? I'm worried about Veemon."

It was selfish but he didn't want to waste time looking for the others when it came to Veemon. For one, he didn't know if they'd be willing to help and secondly, they weren't really a team anymore.

Ken squeezed his shoulder again. "Maybe. It might be best to try before we do that. We could send an e-mail on everyone's D-Terminals. I mean, we've kept our ones so I'm certain they have there's as well."

Davis smiled fully now. "You're right. You really are the smart one Ken."

Ken blushed a little at the compliment. "T-thanks Davis."

Davis laughed. "For calling you smart or making you look cute when you blush?" He winked at him causing Ken to blush further.

Ken swatted his shoulder. "Oh shut up you." His tone was pure joking.

Davis laughed. "Make me."

"You really want that?" Ken teased.

Davis raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

Ken hummed. "Maybe?" He laughed. "I am a better kisser than you after all."

Davis wrapped his arms around Ken's neck and faked to pout. "Not true." To prove his point, he kissed him softly.

Ken kissed back, inwardly laughing. Davis may be his best friend and boyfriend but he was still so easy to mess with. "Maybe you are the better kisser after all."

Davis laughed at that, although didn't move away after the kiss and remained in Ken's arms. "Ken?"

Ken noticed the change in Davis's tone and frowned. "Yeah?"

"Is Veemon okay?" Davis said. "Did I really steal someone else's partner? Veemon never said anything."

Ken didn't know what to say. He didn't want to give Davis fake reassurances as he felt the other deserved more than that. For once, he didn't have the answer. "I'm not sure if Veemon really had a partner. I mean, he came from the DigiEgg of Courage but someone might have sealed Veemon, Armadillomon and Hawkmon into those three DigiEggs. For all we know...they could all have former partners and they might not. I don't think you stole Veemon really but let's let Izzy figure the rest of the things out okay? Don't worry too much. Whatever happens, we'll face it together. Like we did back then. We may not be a team anymore, but we still have each other don't we?"

Davis relaxed further into Ken's warm embrace. It was strange how the two of them became more. He would have thought Ken and he would be torn apart too by that night but instead the opposite happened. Ken had latched onto him and he didn't have the heart to let him go into the loneliness of despair again. He did not want to see the Digimon Emperor resurrected.

The two had always been close but this incident of the digimon being torn away along with the thugs of their own heart with it, it seemed.

"Always," Davis said, humming contentedly. "We always have each other, Ken. No matter what."

Ken smiled. No more words needed to be said.

The two remained there in the silent embrace, hearing the sounds of the birds chirping outside.

After a few seconds had passed, Ken pulled away from the embrace, going to get his D-Terminal from the drawer. Once he had retrieved, he sent a message to their team about the situation before looking to Davis.

"Why don't we catch up to Izzy and find out what's going on?" Ken suggested. "I've e-mailed the others and given them Izzy's address so if they want to help out, they can meet us there."

Davis smiled. "Ok. Thanks Ken."

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Kari Kamiya sat in her bedroom. She still lived in her apartment unlike Tai who had moved out. She was currently sitting at her desk, her head rested on the table top. Her room was a mess which was unlike her but she hadn't wanted to do anything lately.

There were many times her fingers reached for her D-Terminal which she kept hidden from the world as a reminder to see if the others had sent her a message. Maybe today would be different...she checked once a week at least. Was she stupid to want them to be a team again? They knew digimon were real, then why couldn't they stick together? A lone tear rolled down her cheek but she hastily wiped it away. No, she wouldn't cry. She couldn't cry.

Then, something she hadn't heard in the past five years happened. Her D-Terminal beeped.

Her brown eyes widened and she wondered if she were hearing things.

_Maybe I'm so hopeful for a message from one of the others that I'm hearing the D-Terminal beeping just because that's what I want..._

Pushing these questions aside, she wondered once more whether to check or not. Finally, she decided to just in case and pushed away her mess of clothes where her D-Terminal was buried under. Picking it up, she opened it and her heart gave a jolt as she realised there was a message.

Her usual dull brown eyes visibly brightened and then became downcast again as she read what the message was. _Veemon's in trouble..._**what **_could be the problem? _She continued reading down and realised Ken had given her an address where he and Davis were going to meet Izzy.

Kari wondered what the point to that was considering the D-3's hadn't been active for awhile. Even if there was a problem with the digimon, there was nothing they could do!

"Kari!" Her mother's voice called out. "Lunch is ready."

Lunch is ready. Come have dinner. Those were the only conversations Kari and her mother seemed to have anymore. Every time the digimon were mentioned, a heated argument would occur and things would be thrown all over the house.

There was no point to it anymore so she had given up convincing anyone. If her friends didn't care anymore, why should she? She didn't always want to be the kind one. She didn't know if she wanted to join Davis and Ken at Izzy's house either. A part of her did though...maybe...maybe there was some way to get Gatomon back.

With that thought in mind, Kari headed out of her room, deciding after lunch she would go.

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Davis and Ken arrived at Izzy's house just as he was finishing lunch. Izzy invited them inside and they sat in his bedroom.

"Thanks for coming you two," Izzy said.

Davis shook his head. "Is Veemon okay, Izzy?"

Izzy sighed. "I don't know. Not if Riku has anything to do with it."

Davis blinked. "Riku? That's what his partner's name is?"

Izzy raised an eyebrow. "You've already accepted Riku as Veemon's partner, without deciding whether she deserves the title or not?"

Ken frowned. "What do you mean by 'deserve', Izzy?"

Before Izzy could reply, there was a knock on the door.

Izzy looked puzzled. "Ken, I thought you couldn't get in contact with anyone else."

Ken shrugged, looking a little alarmed himself. "I'm not sure, Izzy maybe one of the others saw the message on the D-Terminal and decided to come help out?"

Davis smiled. "That's probably it. Maybe it is one of the others. I wonder if they've changed somehow..." It was odd that none of them had kept in touch, but somewhat natural after what had happen. He had just clung to Ken, not wanting him to become a victim to the World of Darkness once more.

Mrs. Izumi opened the door and the three boys looked up.

Davis's jaw dropped. He had expected Tai or someone from the older team. But it was her. The girl who had once meant everything to him. There were days her smile warmed his heart and now even when she was no longer the object of his affections, his heart seemed to have a soft corner for her due to her being his first friend before any of the others. "Kari?"


	3. Bittersweet Reunions

Hello everyone! Thanks for the reviews and critique everyone. I love critique more than compliments actually as it shows me where I lack. Some of you have asked for more descriptions so I will be trying that out. Also, I have officially decided right now to have no other couples than Daiken. Feel free to suggest couples though…I'm not a big shipper apparently. Thanks to **Black Angel of the Underworld **for betareading this chapter.

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**Chapter 2: A Bittersweet Reunion**

Kari managed a small smile when she saw Davis and Ken. Appearance-wise, the two hadn't changed too much other than Ken cutting his hair and Davis no longer wearing his goggles. But as she watched them holding hands, she felt as if there was nothing familiar about them. A huge gap was suddenly torn between them and a part of her wondered if she really even knew them anymore.

She opened her mouth to say something, but found that her tongue had no words to serve. She would've said hello but that almost sounded too formal for a friend. A friend? They were friends, weren't they?

"I…I got your message," Kari said finally, unable to think of anything else to say. "Is…Is Veemon okay?"

Davis didn't say anything for a moment before smiling a little. "We don't know yet. But thanks for coming." He wanted to hit himself in the head for that. He sounded so formal.

Luckily, Izzy cut in before the awkwardness could spread. "We need to figure out a way to deal with Riku somehow. If Yolei was here, she could help me out a little bit in looking through the systems."

Ken frowned. "I'm not a genius anymore, but I do know a little bit about computers, enough to do a system search at least."

Izzy smiled. "Could you? It'd be a great help if the system search is running through the D-3's as well. At the moment, it's running through my old digivice. There's a possibility, since this issue has come up, the digivices may be able to be reactivated again."

The room seemed to freeze at that. No one moved. The only sound that could be heard was the clock ticking behind them.

Different thoughts were running through everyone's head though the feelings were uniform.

Davis felt a renounced hope shine within him. He saw Ken's eyes brighten and his posture relax slightly. Even Kari smiled.

Davis got to his feet. "Let's try it then!"

Ken laughed a little. "Calm down, Davis. Don't trip over."

Davis huffed at that but a small smile played on his features, his eyes shining with some of his old fire. "Well, what are we waiting for? We have to try, right?"

Oh, he really wanted them to be able to see the Digimon again. Things just weren't the same without them. Yeah, he had Ken and that was great, but Veemon was different. His Digital Best Friend was like his other half in one sense, and having him away for so long made him feel almost incomplete. He didn't care much about this other partner Veemon seemed to have; he was sure Veemon must have a good reason for not saying anything. It did bug him a little having a secret like that kept from him, but he'd talk to Veemon about it.

He noticed Izzy biting his lower lip though and blinked. "Izzy? What's wrong?"

Izzy looked at Davis then at the others. "I don't want to give you guys false hope, but there's a chance this might not work. I mean, I'm not exactly a genius..."

Kari's hand came to rest on Izzy's back. "You're the smartest person Tai and I has ever known, Izzy. If Tai were here, he'd tell you to keep going so please don't give up, okay? I know I'm not Tai, but he believes in you and so do I."

Izzy looked at Kari and saw her brother's strength shining through her eyes and smiled. Tai had always believed in him, even when he hadn't believed in himself, and Kari was giving the same courage. He nodded, determined to not let it go to waste. "You're right, Kari. Sorry."

Kari shook her head but didn't say any more. The room was silent then, allowing both Ken and Izzy to work on what they needed to do. Their fingers practically flew across the keyboards and several unintelligible codes sprung up on the computer screens.

Time seemed to move at a snail's pace and even though all-round - it took at most half an hour - it felt as if days had passed rather than minutes.

Their success was shown to them all as the D-3's lit up and began beeping.

"We did it!" Ken felt as if heart would jump out of his chest. "We managed to reactivate them!" He would see Wormmon again...

Izzy stared for a moment, before a smile spread out across his features. "We really did! We can go to the digital world again!"

Davis jumped to his feet, excitement bubbling in his chest. "Then let's go right now!"

Kari giggled, a soft laugh that echoed through the room. "Calm down, Davis."

Izzy glanced at Davis. "Davis, I don't mean to dishearten you but the situation with Veemon..."

Davis's face fell. "I know. The whole him having another partner thing is weird but I don't really know what to do about it other than ask him. Let's just go and see what's going on."

Izzy shook his head. "I wouldn't do that. My theories lead me to believe that Veemon's former partner might have been..." He trailed off, unsure of how to say it.

Davis looked curious. "Might have been what?"

Kari bit her lower lip. "Davis..."

Ken seemed to sense what was about to come too and gripped Davis's arm, pushing aside his own memories of how he had treated Wormmon. "Izzy, did that person really...?"

Izzy nodded, hanging his head. "I'm sorry. But my theory says that Riku, Veemon's former partner, was most likely abusive towards him."

Davis stared at this, his eyes widening in shock. Veemon had been hurt by his former partner? Had he been killed and then resealed into the DigiEgg of Courage? He didn't know...but his mind was jumping to a thousand crazy conclusions.

Ken squeezed his arm. "Don't think too much or you'll give yourself a brain cramp."

Kari raised an eyebrow, wondering how Ken could joke at a time like this.

Davis scowled slightly but saw that Ken was smiling and sighed. "You're right, it's just...I didn't know."

Ken's expression turned slightly grim. "I know, and I'm sure Veemon won't blame you but feeling guilty won't help. You've already made it up to him, Davis. You've always treated Veemon like an equal, never as someone to push around or hurt. Though Izzy, are you sure this person is really Veemon's former partner?"

Izzy nodded. "I managed to get a hold of Gennai earlier or rather he got hold of me and warned me about Riku. Little late but still, we'll need to be careful."

Kari paused, thinking things over for a minute. "Why don't we go check out the place at least? Hopefully, Riku won't have caused too much harm to the digital world."

Davis nodded. "Yeah, and if she has, we have no choice! We gotta contact the others no matter what in case the digital world needs help again."

The other three nodded although Kari looked a bit hesitant. She still remembered the look on the other's faces when she had just stood there, watching, frozen in fear. She knew it wasn't right to avoid the others when the digital world might need them, but it seemed so awkward reuniting now.

* * *

T.K. Takaishi found himself wandering near his brother's band practice place. It had been awhile since the two had talked... He wondered if Matt even still had his band. Should he go check it out? It couldn't hurt, could it?

The blond moved towards the door and knocked. The door was opened but it wasn't Matt Ishida who stood behind it: it was one of his band members, Akira Hikami.

"Takaishi?" Akira said, blinking.

"Oh, Hikami, it's you," T.K. said. "Sorry, I was looking for someone else."

"You mean, for Matt?" Akira said knowingly, and T.K. froze.

He should run away, pretend he didn't care, and tell Akira to mind his own business. But at the same time, he missed Matt. Life wasn't the same without his older brother there for him.

Hesitating for a moment, T.K. turned back to Akira. "Yeah, for Matt. Where has he been lately? Did the band split up?"

Akira chuckled a little. "Oh, T.K., if only it were that simple."

T.K. stared, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Akira's face fell. "I wouldn't look for Matt if I were you, personally. I know you're his brother, but he's a whore, T.K. He slept around with people."

T.K.'s jaw dropped. He knew he and Matt hadn't kept in touch but he also knew his brother better than any of the band members. If he recalled right, Matt and Sora had been dating. But that wasn't the point. No matter how far the two of them had distanced from each other, Akira was spouting nonsense.

Fury filled inside him and he punched Akira, surprising probably the both of them. "How can you say that about Matt? He isn't like that! Where is he? What have you guys done to him?"

Akira bristled, before glowering at T.K. "You shouldn't defend people like that, T.K. If I were you, I'd disown him."

T.K. held back the urge to punch Akira again and gritted his teeth. "Well, I'm glad I'm not you then. Akira, if there's one thing you should remember is that Matt isn't alone, no matter what he or your ex-band members think. Now, where is he?"

Akira rolled his eyes. "Last I heard, he was living in Shibuya district." He grabbed a paper and scribbled down the address. "Check there. Though knowing him, he's probably hiding out from what he's done."

T.K. gave Akira another narrowed glare. "Thanks." He snatched it away before heading off.

As soon as he was a considerable distance away, he breathed in and out slowly to calm his nerves. How dare they accuse his brother? There was something more to this. Matt may have changed but there was no way his brother would become like that. It just wasn't possible.

It took him awhile but he managed to arrive at the address and knocked on the old, worn out door. It somehow brought a sick feeling in the pits of his stomach. After a few minutes of waiting, the door opened and a familiar-looking blond stepped out.

T.K. found himself staring dumbstruck, for a moment, at his brother.

His hair looked like it hadn't been cut for awhile and his eyes had dark circles underneath them. He wore a black jacket with a hood in an attempt to cover his hair. T.K. had almost not recognised the other with the way he dressed.

He opened his mouth to greet him but didn't know what to say.

"T.K.?" Matt said, before he could speak. "Is that really you?"

Well, at least he had been more recognisable to his brother.

T.K. smiled. "Hey, yeah it is. Been awhile, hasn't it?"

Matt nodded. "Come on in."

The two brothers sat on a dining table, waiting for the other to speak. There was a strange silence between the two of them.

The house was small and a bit dirty. The kitchen was too small for even the both of them but they somehow managed to squeeze in. T.K. saw a cracked window covered by drapes as if it was trying to hide the ugliness from within. There were a pile of dirty dishes in the sink and he had a small urge to just walk over and clean them while listening to his brother speak.

He mentally shook his head. He was just making excuses.

"You're quiet," Matt said. "Heard the rumours then?"

T.K. looked down at his hands clenched tightly on his lap. "Yeah, but I didn't believe them. I even punched Akira in the face for saying that about you."

Matt blinked until a small smile crossed his features. "T.K...I... Thank you."

T.K. looked up and noticed Matt's eyes were slightly watery. "Matt..." He placed both of his hands on his brother's shoulders. "What happened with the band? And Sora?"

Matt shook his head. "I didn't do anything wrong, T.K... It was blackmail. It was false. They made a propaganda over nothing. Sora knows that. She believes me. Then why do the other band members...?" He felt his former frustration at the band members build up in his aching chest. "It wasn't my fault, dammit!" He punched the table, causing T.K. to jump.

T.K. looked at his brother, sympathy churning in his heart. He had never seen his older brother look so vulnerable.

_How could I have broken contact with him?_ He shook his head; now was not the time for self-loathing, not when Matt needed him.

He pulled the other into an embrace, feeling he needed it right now. There were many times when he was just a small child, where Matt would hold him until he didn't feel upset anymore.

"It's okay, Matt, I know," T.K. soothed, rubbing his hand comfortingly on Matt's back. "I already know it wasn't your fault. Calm down. You don't have to talk about it if it hurts you."

Matt shook his head. "Yutaka was going to sexually assault Sora. He was going to go after her...and I stopped him, confronted him about it. He was furious and photoshopped some pictures of me with other guys and girls, publishing them almost everywhere. The band didn't let me explain and we all split up. Sora stuck with me though...but I'm not...I'm not a whore. I didn't do anything, just protected the girl I loved... Is that wrong?"

T.K. was taken aback by the story and his face fell into a frown at what had happened. A surge of fury welled up inside of him at Yutaka. He had never liked that particular band member but he hadn't thought of him as that crazy to do something like that.

"It wasn't wrong," T.K. said. "I'm so sorry, Matt. I should have been there. I didn't know..." There was so much he wanted to say, but everything seemed to be caught in his throat.

_I'm sorry he hurt you. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry I didn't protect you like you've always protected me. _However, that part remained inside his mind. It wasn't that he didn't want to say it, but he didn't know how to.

"Not your fault..." Matt murmured. "Dragomon's attack on us at the last minute really tore us all apart..."

T.K. tensed. Gatomon had almost been... Thinking of Gatomon made his thoughts drift over to Kari. He wondered how she was. This wasn't the time for that though...

"Let's not talk about that." He pulled away from Matt, averting his gaze to avoid his brother's eyes.

Matt sighed. "But if we don't, we may never be able to forgive ourselves for what happened. We might not be able to forgive each other."

T.K. looked away, his fists clenching. "That's because we can't forgive ourselves for what happened that night. Kari would have become Dragomon's queen, Ken would be a slave to Daemon, and all of us... We would be dead if Izzy hadn't gotten Gennai to intervene. It's all Gennai's fault; he tore our digimon away from us!"

Matt pulled T.K. close again, relishing the comfort he sorely wanted. "We need to stop blaming him. I need to stop blaming Tai, and you need to stop blaming Davis. Our partners, they wouldn't want this for us. I almost pushed Sora away in all this, too, but she never gave up. Some nights, she'd wake up crying remembering Biyomon and hoping the sacrifice was worth it. Sora and I... We helped each other through it, but who helped you, T.K.? Who helped Tai and the others? Come on, let's end this. Let's solve things somehow, together."

T.K. wanted to. He missed Patamon dearly and Kari, too. But they would fail again, they didn't have proper leaders to guide them. Davis and Tai had both failed them... However, he did feel Matt needed Tai and the rest of their friends. Honestly, he missed his team, too. He exhaled through his nose. "Okay...I'll...I'll try."

Matt ruffled T.K.'s hair. "That's more like the little brother I know."

T.K. faked a scowl. "Matt, I'm 16! Hardly what you would call little."

Matt laughed and smiled teasingly. "Sorry, kiddo, but you'll always be little to me."

The two continued to catch up, something they hadn't done in the last five years. Matt couldn't help but smile and laugh as T.K. recounted his small, lighthearted plights. His eyes softened as a warm feeling enveloped his body. Being here with his brother was possibly the best thing he could have asked for.

He could feel his eyes tear up and quickly wiped them away. T.K. paused, his eyes concerned. "Matt, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No," Matt said, shaking his head, "I'm fine. Keep going. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

T.K. smiled softly and the look on his face made Matt realize something that made his chest ache even harder: he understood. God, his brother understood.

His brother reached out and pulled him into warm embrace, whispering comforting words in his ears as Matt started to cry on his shoulder. He just felt so damn happy. All the misery, all the pain, were starting to disappear.

Finally, this dull, depressing house didn't fell miserable at all. It felt like heaven, a small slice of pure utter bliss.


	4. Damaged

_Hey there everyone! Thanks for all the feedback and don't worry Soulfire, it's vague for a reason, adventure/angst stories need to build the suspense too. Also Martian (not using your real name in public, personal policy), you'll see why Izzy didn't think of Joe in the Prologue. Thanks to _**Black Angel of the Underworld **_for betareading this chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Damaged**

Ken bit his lower lip as they entered the digital world. It was so silent. It looked like a black and white picture of the world they usually entered. The trees, the forest, everything was black. It was like someone had sent them back to the 60s period. He felt his heart thud and wondered what on earth had happened to this place. Then again, considering what had happened back then, it wasn't a surprise.

Davis let out a whistle. "Gosh, this place..."

Kari bit her lip, glancing around. "Do you think they could be here? Cody and..."

Ken winced. That was a touchy topic. "Kari, they're not..." He trailed off, unable to say what he was thinking on the back of his mind.

Kari's eyes filled with tears. "I know, I just hoped they were still alive. Things haven't been the same without Cody and Joe."

Davis clenched a fist and looked away. "They could be here."

Ken, Kari, and Izzy all turned to stare at Davis when he said that.

"I have a feeling," Davis said, a small smile on his face as he turned to regard the others. "I have a feeling we're called back for a reason. I know, Cody and Joe are out there waiting for us! I can't explain how, I just know they're still alive. Once we find Veemon and our digimon, we can search for them, too."

"Davis, back then - " Kari began but Davis cut her off.

"Back then, we all saw something we couldn't explain," Davis said. "Dragomon appeared and attacked us. No matter what we did, none of our attacks had an effect on him. T.K. did the right thing, Kari. He and Patamon wanted to protect you and Gatomon."

Kari hung her head, trembling as tears fell down her cheeks. "D-Davis, please, let's not talk about that."

Izzy sighed. "I think we all need to though. All this time, we've been blaming each other. None of us will ever admit it but we all need closure."

Ken closed his eyes. He didn't want to revisit that night but he understood where Davis and Izzy were coming from. "D-Davis, I'm scared...they'll never forgive me. I'm not as courageous as you."

Davis smiled. "You're right, you're not."

Izzy and Kari stared at Davis as if he had grown another head.

"You're stronger," Davis said simply. "I might not have had the courage to get back up if I were in your place. I told you, you don't need to be afraid anymore. Even if no one else does, I'll always support you!" He didn't take Ken's hand but looked into his eyes.

Ken noticed the confidence sparkling in Davis's eyes and nodded. "Okay, but let's find the others first, alright? And maybe unite with our friends. Is that okay, Kari?"

He looked to the brunette girl who had tears falling down her cheeks and was simply a mess. He winced. He knew no matter what that Kari would always blame herself for what happened to Cody. He wondered if Tai blamed himself for what happened to Joe.

Davis seemed to feel guilty though as he walked over to Kari and knelt besides her. "I'm sorry Kari. I know you feel I'm probably being insensitive but this will make you feel better, too. You'll feel more relieved if you get some closure like Izzy said."

Kari managed a weak smile, wiping her tears. "I know you're right, but it's...it's just hard."

Davis smiled too, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. "I know it is. But you gotta keep the light in your heart alive, right? It's what he would tell you, too." He didn't mention T.K.'s name.

Ken frowned. He wasn't happy with Davis accepting when T.K. blamed him for everything, but Davis seemed to blame himself so much, that he didn't seem to hold a grudge for it against T.K.

Kari nodded, however. "I-I'll try." She allowed Davis to pull her to her feet.

"Let's go then," Davis said.

* * *

Mimi stood outside of Tokyo Tower. She had been standing there for a few minutes. This place held such fond memories of what her and her friends had been through. It was odd. At one stage, she wished for all the fighting to end, just so there could be peace. But now, she missed Sora and the others so much.

Thinking this, Mimi chuckled to herself. "Guess I'm not afraid of breaking a nail anymore."

The brunette headed to the tower, shopping around for a bit before heading to the cafeteria. As she was heading out with food and drink, she bumped into someone, spilling her juice on their shirt.

"A-ah! I'm so sorry!" Mimi said, quickly reaching to grab some tissues from her purse.

"Mimi?" a familiar voice said.

Mimi blinked, looking up and finding the chocolate brown eyes of Tai Kamiya. For a moment, she became mesmerized by those beautiful eyes and felt as if she could stare into them forever. Tai had really grown up, both literally and figuratively. Realizing she was staring at him, Mimi blushed.

"Tai," Mimi said, trying to cover her previous staring. "Long time, no see, huh?"

Tai gave a small laugh. "You're telling me. Wanna catch up over some lunch?"

Mimi smiled. "Sure, though we'd better do takeout, considering otherwise we'd have to sit on the floor."

Tai looked around in the cafeteria. "Yeah, this place is pretty packed. Well, I'll get some food and we'll head to the park, okay?"

Mimi nodded. "That sounds great!"

Moments later, the two sat in the same park underneath the tree where they had discussed on what to do about Myotismon in Odaiba.

"So how have you been?" Tai said. "It's been forever since we've talked. I think the last time I talked was with Izzy. We texted a couple of times but we didn't really see each other face-to-face."

"I talked to Izzy once or twice, too," Mimi said with a nod. "It's been a while though. I've been great, moved back to Japan when my dad got his job transferred, and Michael and I broke up."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Tai said sympathetically. "But I'm glad to hear you're back in Japan. Have you been in touch with any of the others? Like Sora or Jo - " His face paled and he instantly went silent.

Mimi flinched slightly at the name, wrapping her arms around herself. Out of all the male DigiDestined, she had been the closest to Joe and Tai. Joe was like a best friend and had been her camp counselor, taking care of her when she needed him around.

An awkward silence filled around the two of them. Mimi wanted to break it. The silence was cutting through her like knives but she didn't know how it could be broken. She had failed to protect the person who had always protected her.

"I haven't heard from Sora," Mimi finally answered, softly. "I heard from some of her friends though that she and Matt went through a tough phase but I don't know any more than that."

"Oh," Tai said. "I hope Matt and Sora are okay. I'd hate for anyone else to be hurt because I failed."

Mimi frowned a little. "Tai, it wasn't your fault."

Tai hung his head. "If I had acted faster, he'd still be here Mimi."

"That could be true for any of us," Mimi said sternly. "We all could have done more but we didn't. J - J - He wouldn't want us to blame ourselves. He'd also be disappointed that we all stopped relying on each other. He had the Crest of Reliability, remember?" She huffed. She didn't know where her sudden confidence came from but honestly, she was sick of everyone blaming themselves for something that wasn't their fault. They all could have done more. Honestly, she loved her friends but sometimes they could be so stupid.

Tai smiled, a light coming to his eyes that hadn't been there in awhile. "You're right, Mimi. I'm sorry. I guess us being apart took away some of my confidence."

Mimi stood up. "Then we'll bring everyone back together. We have to try, Tai. I can't do it myself. I'll need your help. Will you help me?" She stood up and reached a hand towards Tai. "Let's do this for J-Joe, okay?" She felt proud at being able to say his name without stuttering.

Tai laughed a little. Mimi was as blunt as he was sometimes. For once, it was refreshing. "Let's do it then! Can't quit without trying, can we? We're way too stubborn for that." He took Mimi's hand and stood up. "Mimi?" He had noticed how Mimi had gotten when she mentioned the break-up with Michael so...

Mimi frowned. "Yeah?"

Tai tilted his head to meet her eyes. "Why did you break up with Michael?"

Mimi sighed a little, looking away. "Is that really important right now?"

Tai took her hand. "I'm your friend, Mimi. You can tell me."

"He was possessive," Mimi said. "Too possessive. He thought I had feelings for J-Joe with how much I missed him. He just doesn't understand. The bonds we all have with each other are unbreakable. He thought I was dishonest. He's changed a lot, Tai." Her eyes dimmed slightly.

Tai pulled her into a hug and patted her back gently. "Oh, Mimi. I'm so sorry."

Mimi smiled. "Don't be. It's not your fault. I do love Joe, Tai."

Tai blinked and stared at her. "Mimi..."

Mimi laughed. "But I love you, too. And Sora, Matt, Yolei...I love all of you. So if he can't share me, then he'll have to find another girl." Her voice choked a little at that. It had hurt her with what Michael did but she had managed to gain control of herself and compose her emotions.

Tai rolled his eyes but didn't pull away from the hug. "Love you too, Meems." He winked at her, causing her to laugh more.

They stayed like that for a while, taking comfort in each other's arms. Mimi smiled. She felt warm, she felt protected, she felt _whole_.

Tai found himself resting his chin on top of Mimi's head and hugging her tighter. But he didn't care. It felt nice. It felt nice to be with someone who had always been there for him, with someone he could relax around.

Their defenses slowly fell and they both began to relish the warmth that they both sorely needed.

* * *

"Calm down, Lalamon," Kotone Akahashi said with a small roll of the eyes.

"But, Kotone, we gotta get some herbs!" Lalamon said, jumping around.

"Call me Koto," Kotone grumbled for the umpteenth time.

The lavender-haired, blue eyed girl had fallen into the digital world in all the chaos going on five years ago. Unfortunately, she had never been able to find a way back even with the strange- looking device she had.

She had been trying to protect this world from its dangers so far and had rescued a younger boy who had been passed out for the last two months. Or at least, she thought it were months. She could never tell how time passed in this world.

Right now, she was travelling through the bushes of the forest, looking for herbs.

"I found some, Koto!" Lalamon said, and the girl ran over to help gather some.

Kotone returned to the cottage she had managed to build. It was a small make-shift house with a brick roof. It wasn't the best but it was temporary anyway. Being on the constant run because of this darkness meant she usually had to move around a lot. Although lately, since this boy had been found, it had been rather silent.

Kotone sat down on a chair, although her eyes widened as the boy stirred; he had brown hair in a sort of strange haircut. She quickly moved beside him.

"He's finally awake," she breathed in relief.

The boy began to cough and Kotone quickly turned to Lalamon. "Get a glass of water, quick."

Lalamon flew across the room and barely managed to hold the glass with its tiny fingers. "Ah, Koto, it's heavy!"

Kotone, despite the situation, laughed a little and relieved her partner of the glass. "Oh Lalamon." She gave the glass to the boy. "Here, drink this."

The boy took it, although his fingers trembled slightly, which led Kotone to reach out and help him drink.

"Where am I?" the boy asked.

The other girl smiled. "You're in my home in the digital world. I'm Kotone Akahashi. You shouldn't exert yourself though. You've been out for awhile, you know."

The boy blinked. "I have? How did I end up here? What happened to me?" He tried to sit up, albeit a sharp pain ran up his spine and he fell back onto the bed.

"Hey!" Kotone chided, her eyes narrowed in worry. "Didn't I just say not to exert yourself?"

The boy shook his head. "Sorry...I'm just curious."

Kotone's eyes softened. "It's okay. What's your name?"

The boy frowned again and looked at the girl. "I'm...Cody Hida."


End file.
